By ADAM HIMMELSBACH

Published: March 7, 2006

The final horn blared and the five Hofstra players still on the floor here Monday night were swallowed by North Carolina-Wilmington's swarm of fans, beach balls and confetti. The Pride players slowly made their way through the mayhem, their faces dour. The Seahawks had just finished a 78-67 victory against Hofstra in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament final in front of 4,580 fans at Richmond Coliseum.

Hofstra nearly overcame a 23-point second-half deficit, but T. J. Carter proved to be too much for it to handle. Carter, a junior guard, scored 23 points for U.N.C.-Wilmington, including 12 in the final 2 minutes 51 seconds. He also had 13 rebounds and was named the tournament's most valuable player.

With the victory, the top-seeded Seahawks (25-7) earned their first N.C.A.A. tournament berth since 2003.

The third-seeded Pride (24-6) was trying to earn an automatic bid for the first time since 2001, Hofstra's final season in the America East Conference. Now the Pride players must cross their fingers until Sunday to see if they receive an at-large bid.

''We'll see what the experts say all week, and we'll hope for teams not to get upset in their tournaments,'' Hofstra Coach Tom Pecora said. ''But I really think when you look at our body of work, we belong in this tournament.''

Hofstra trailed, 59-40, with 10:32 left in the game when it put together a 19-3 run that was prompted by a switch to a zone defense. A free throw by Antoine Agudio made the score 62-59 with 4:30 left, but Carter took over. Over a 90-second stretch, he hit a short jump shot after a steal, converted a driving layup and was fouled, and added a 3-pointer.

U.N.C.-Wilmington led, 70-63, and made all eight of its free throws in the final minute to seal the victory.

''We knew Hofstra was going to make a run,'' Carter said. ''My teammates just put me in good situations where I was able to make plays.''

Hofstra guard Loren Stokes seemed to show no lingering effects from being hit in the groin by George Mason guard Tony Skinn late in the Pride's semifinal victory Sunday. Stokes had 26 points and 7 rebounds Monday night.

Skinn has been suspended for any first-round game the Patriots would play in if they were to make the National Invitation Tournament or the N.C.A.A. tournament.

''I am very sorry, and I deeply regret my action on Sunday,'' Skinn said in a statement released by his university. ''In the heat of a tense game, I lost my head and made a bad decision.''

Tom Yeager, the conference commissioner, said the suspension was appropriate. ''It's sad,'' Yeager said before the championship game. ''On a day when we're really looking at promoting this tremendous idea that three teams are able to qualify for the N.C.A.A. tournament, we're talking about a kid that makes a dumb mistake.''

In 1986, the conference held two spots in the N.C.A.A. tournament, the only time in the league's 23-year history that it has received more than one bid.

Yeager said he was confident his league had done enough to secure three bids to the tournament but was unsure if the selection committee shared his sentiment. ''The problem is these aren't household names,'' he said. ''People can't find Hofstra and don't know where it is. But look at where the computer says they're ranked.''

According to the most recent Ratings Percentage Index, a ranking used by the selection committee, Hofstra was 24th in N.C.A.A. Division I. George Mason was the next team from the conference, at No. 29, followed by U.N.C.-Wilmington at No. 37.

''Hofstra has had one of the biggest rises in the R.P.I. throughout the latter part of the season,'' Yeager said. ''They just keep winning.''

But for much of the opening half Monday night, Hofstra flaunted a pinch-your-nose-and-cringe offense. The Pride made just 2 of its first 16 field-goal attempts against U.N.C.-Wilmington's aggressive man-to-man defense.

With 4:17 left in the half, Carter rebounded his own missed shot, converted a layup and was fouled. The ensuing free throw gave the Seahawks their largest lead of the half, 35-15.

Stokes helped the Pride close the margin, scoring 5 points during an 11-0 burst. A 3-pointer by Seahawks guard John Goldsberry quieted the rally and sent U.N.C.-Wilmington to the break with a 38-26 lead.

Four minutes into the second half, the Seahawks put together a 15-4 run that gave them a 53-30 lead. Hofstra clawed back, getting back-to-back 3-pointers from Stokes and Rivera to make the score 59-46. The Pride eventually pulled to 3 down but got no closer.